Chaloner SA

The Falcon’s Nest Farm in the Blaauwklippen Valley of the Stellenbosch Mountains is home to Perry and Karen Chaloner where they produce their award-winning Olive Oils and other artisanal products. When they purchased the farm in 1992, there was nothing apart from an expanse of land overgrown with alien vegetation. After seven years of hard work and patience, the farm started to flourish with fruit trees bearing olives, plums, lemons and Seville Oranges. As well as enjoying a Mediterranean climate perfectly suited to cultivating olives, the farm falls within a temperate micro-climate region that’s unique to Stellenbosch. While this means lower yields, the spin-off benefit is enhanced taste. Another distinguishing feature of the farm’s site is its decomposed granite soils, which lend the olive oils their diverse and unusual flavours. Over the past two decades, the initial half hectare of olive trees has grown to 7 and includes nine different varietals. Each is bottled individually, as well as various cultivars blended to produce the Chaloner EVOO Mountain oil and The Peregrine Limited edition oil. Perry Chaloner is the man behind the Chaloner range of artisanal products. He began experimenting with traditional jam recipes using the fruits that were flourishing on his 14-hectare farm to create preserves and tapenades with unique flavour combinations. He shared his creations with friends and family and their response was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. And so, based on the finest farm-grown ingredients, the range of innovative, hand-crafted, premium quality products was developed. Chaloner’s passion and dedication to quality extends to every aspect of the development process and as such he has control of the whole production line – from farm to bottle to table. The olives are grown in granite soils aided by biodynamic cultivation, pressed within 24 hours of picking and bottled on the estate.